Here’s the latest on talks between defenseman Marc Staal and the New York Rangers, per the NY Post:
The situation regarding a potential contract extension for Marc Staal remains status quo, with the alternate captain’s agent, Paul Krepelka telling The Post on Thursday that “there is nothing new.”
“Talks are open-ended,” Krepelka said of the negotiations with the Rangers that have gone nowhere. “No deadline has been given as yet, though that’s obviously subject to change as we move further into the season.”
Staal, who will turn 28 in January, is eligible to become a free agent on July 1. It is believed the defenseman is seeking approximately $6 million per for at least six years.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are believed to be countering with the “Dan Girardi special” -- a six-year, $33 million deal that carries an average annual cap hit of $5.5M. The deal, which Girardi signed last spring, made the 30-year-old the Blueshirts’ highest-paid defenseman (Ryan McDonagh comes in at $4.7M per season, underscoring how good of a contract that is for New York). Getting Staal in at a similar number to Girardi would ideal, though it’s likely he’d garner more on the open market.
As of today, Staal would probably top the pending UFA defenseman list for July 1. There are other candidates -- Paul Martin, Johnny Boychuk, Mike Green, Christian Ehrhoff and Francois Beauchemin, to name a few -- but there’s no guarantee any will even get to market and, in the case of Boychuk, the Islanders’ desire to keep him in the fold could result in a big payday, which might set the market for Staal and company.